LOL they kicked Art Buchwald out of the hospice after 75 days.

[wakeme2008]

OK things you miss in the news. Art Buchwald had kidney failure and decided to not do kidney dialysis and checked himself into a hospice to die. But then his kidneys started working again and over all his health improved so after 75 days he tells people the kicked him out. :)

I learned all of this from a book review of his new book Too Soon to Say Goodbye which was in my Sunday's paper.

Sometimes good things do happen to good people.

[asjr]

1. That is so Art Buchwald. Lol

[Vinca]

2. Thank you, Art. We couldn't endure another funeral. LOL. nt

[DemReadingDU]

3. I thought Art left on his own

He wasn't 'dying', so he left Hospice. It could be that Art was asked to leave, but I thought he left on his own.

[zanne]

4. My nephew had to leave hospice...

He had brain cancer and suffered a stroke after taking an experimental drug. When he recovered from his stroke and was able to walk and talk again, he had to leave because he wasn't actively dying. He went home, led a fairly normal life until the cancer started growing again and died a month ago, at home. He was glad to leave hospice.

[wakeme2008]

5. This is Art B and I would assume he left on his own because he would have

tons of $$$ to stay if he wanted to. But it sounds better that they kicked him out when he tells the "story".. :shrug:

[Sugarcoated]

6. I thought hospice was free of charge.

[Stephanie]

7. Not in America.

You'd better have good insurance if you want to die without excessive pain in this country.

[ripple]

8. Hospice is free

Unfortunately, though, medications and treatments for potentially life threatening diseases are not.

You're right on about the insurance situation. For patients on Medicare receiving dialysis, for instance, the out-of-pocket expense runs around $300 per treatment. When you figure dialysis patients usually dialyze several times per week, it adds up pretty damned fast.

[Stephanie]

9. I really don't think so. A dear friend was in and out of hospice recently.

And there was a lot of hassle with insurance companies to figure out which hospice would take him.

[ripple]

11. I wonder if it depends on the area

I'm pretty sure it's free here, but maybe it's only free for people who meet certain income requirements and/or don't have private insurance that offers it. :shrug:

[wakeme2008]

12. While some may be free I would not expect Art to pick a free one

when he could pay and allow the free bed to somebody that needed it.

[UTUSN]

10. K&R for truly unadulterated happy news!!1 n/t

[Canuckistanian]

13. I heard that on NPR last week

They did an interview with Art Buchwald and Morley Safer, his friend of over 50 years.